Western States Air Resource Council WESTAR Council

Request for Proposals:

Instructional Services for the Presentation of

Advanced AERMOD Modeling

in Carson City, Nevada

Updated October 14, 2014

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Section # Section Page

I Organization Description 5 II Source of Funding 5 III Training Program Summary 5 IV Purpose of RFP 6 V Submittal Information for Proposals, Inquiries, and Requests 6 VI Training Course Details 7 VII Summary of Submission Requirements & Conditions 8 VIII Proposal Selection Criteria 12 IX General Procurement Provisions and Conditions 12 X Instructor Performance and Task Expectations – Contractor 13 XI WESTAR Council Obligations 14

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WESTERN STATES AIR RESOURCES COUNCIL

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES FOR THE PRESENTATION OF ADVANCED AERMOD MODELING

I. ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION

The Western States Air Resources Council (WESTAR) was founded in 1988 by eight western state air agencies. Since hiring staff and opening its office in early 1992, the Council has grown to fifteen states including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. WESTAR Council is a nonprofit organization that was formed: to promote the exchange of information between the States; to serve as a forum to discuss western regional air quality issues of common concern; to share resources for the common benefit of the member states; and to provide training services to air pollution control agencies in the western United States. WESTAR Council is located in Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and Springfield, Oregon, has a staff of five, and is funded primarily by EPA grants. For further information on WESTAR Council, potential bidders may refer to: www.westar.org.

II. SOURCE OF FUNDING WESTAR receives most of its training funding from federal Clean Air Act (CAA) Section (§) 103 funds. The funding that will support this project is from CAA § 103 grants awarded to WESTAR. These funds were initially state and tribal assistance grant funds which were reserved at the national level with approval of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA) to support air program training needs.

III. TRAINING PROGRAM SUMMARY

WESTAR’s training program serves the training needs of state and local air pollution control agencies in fifteen western states. The diversity among these western air agencies is vast. While some agency staff numbers are in the 10s, others reach well into the 100s, and while some agencies are adequately funded, others do not have sufficient funds to participate in training nor the capability to achieve the minimum number of attendees to offer a training course. Staff turnover is another major issue of these agencies which means that many of these agencies are in large part staffed by relatively inexperienced individuals. However, regardless of the tremendous diversity of these state and local agencies, these air pollution control agencies need and desire highly qualified, competent staff to operate critical programs and make crucial decisions, and all share the need for staff with expert skills, knowledge and abilities to effectively and efficiently serve the needs of their constituencies.

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WESTAR meets these training needs by identifying, designing, developing and delivering needed, cost-effective, responsive, and western-states-focused educational opportunities for state and local air agency staff. For Federal Fiscal Year 2015 WESTAR will offer 20-25 training courses in the western United States. Agenda and course materials are obtained from a variety of sources including EPA, colleges and universities, regional training consortia, and individual instructors.

IV. PURPOSE OF RFP

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit instructional services and cost bid to present Advanced AERMOD Modeling.

The products of this project shall include but not limited to instructional services. Prospective bidder may determine the need to update the course agenda to better reflect the needs of the target audience (see below), and/or to reflect changes in environmental regulations, the implementation of new policies, and the advancement of technologies. Changes such as these can cause the agenda and course materials to be out-of-date and/or not up-to-date. Attendees attending the proposed training course will generally be state and local air pollution control agency staff from the western United States.

V. SUBMITTAL INFORMATION FOR PROPOSALS, INQUIRIES, AND REQUESTS

Proposals, inquiries, and requests for clarification and other information should be directed to:

Name: JEFFREY P. GABLER

Title: TRAINING MANAGER/PROJECT MANAGER

Organization: WESTERN STATES AIR RESOURCE COUNCIL (WESTAR COUNCIL)

Street: 715 SW MORRISON STREET, STE. 503

City/State/Zip: PORTLAND, OREGON 97205

Phone: 503-478-4955

Fax: 503-478-4961

E-mail: jgabler@westar.org

Web Site: http://www.westar.org

Notice of Intent to Bid:

CLOSE OF BUSINESS: NOVEMBER 14, 2014

Submittal of Bid CLOSE OF BUSINESS: NOVEMBER 21, 2014

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VI. TRAINING COURSE DETAILS

The following table contains specific information about the course and location:

Course Dates1 TO BE DETERMINED

Course Number N/A

Course Title ADVANCED AERMOD MODELING

Course Length UP TO 2 DAYS

Course Maximum UP TO 10

Course Web Site N/A

Course Location CARSON CITY, NEVADA

Guest Room Information

INSTRUCTOR(S) IS RESPONSIBLE FOR FINDING HIS/HER OWN GUEST ROOM(S)

Ground Transportation Options

INSTRUCTOR(S) WILL NEED A RENTAL CAR FOR DURATION OF COURSE

1Please note that the dates and location may be subject to change due to circumstances beyond the control of WESTAR Council. Should such changes be necessary, affected parties shall be promptly notified.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This AERMOD training is intended for experienced air dispersion modelers. The course will focus on advanced air dispersion modeling topics/issues by taking an in-depth look at such issues as how to model for EPA’s new 1-hour NAAQS, the importance of background concentrations, how to process met data, understanding the influence of surface characteristics, downwash processing, and screening. The intent of the course is to further enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of experience modelers by increasing their understanding of the more complex modeling issues.

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VII. SUMMARY OF SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONS

A. General Requirements

Prospective bidders shall only respond to this solicitation if they can demonstrate through references and other means that they have a working knowledge of all of the practical aspects of air dispersion modeling (see Paragraph VI. Training Course Details and Major Topics). References shall be provided.

B. Suspension and Debarment

Prospective bidders shall be capable of providing certification that they:

1. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any federal department or agency.

2. Have not within the past three-years been convicted of, or had a civil

judgment rendered against them for, commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (federal, state, or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of federal or state antitrust statutes; commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification; destruction of records; making false statements; or receiving stolen property.

3. Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a

government entity (federal, state, or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in Section VII Paragraph B.2 (above).

4. Have not within a three-year period preceding this date had one or more

public (federal, state, or local) transactions terminated for cause or default.

5. Prospective bidders shall only submit a proposal if they sign the proposal certifying that the requirements of this RFP can be met and that the bidding entity is in good standing with the U.S. government relative to participating in projects funded with federal grants. The following certification statement shall be used:

“The undersigned responsible official responsible for submission of this training proposal hereby certifies that the information contained in this proposal is true and accurate to the best of the undersigned’s knowledge and ability; that the bidding entity is qualified to present the course as prescribed in the Request for Proposals (RFP) and can and will meet the requirements in the RFP; that neither the bidding entity nor any of its

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principals has a relationship with WESTAR Council and/or its principals constituting a conflict of interest; and that neither the undersigned nor any associated partnership or corporation is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, ineligible, or otherwise excluded from participating in a projected fund with federal grants.”

C. Submittal Requirements

Responses to this RFP shall be submitted in two parts. The first part shall include the technical and administrative information required in Section VII Paragraph F (below) and as described in Section IV (above). The second part shall contain the cost information specified in Section VII Paragraph G (below). No cost calculations and estimations shall be included in the Technical Proposal. Inclusion of, and/or references to, costs in the Technical Proposal may result in the bid being disqualified. The cumulative Proposal shall conform to all criteria specified in this RFP.

D. Proposal Submittal Deadline

Prospective bidders shall notify WESTAR Council of their intent to bid no later than close of business November 14, 2014. This notification may be made by telephone, fax, or e-mail. WESTAR Council will accept responses until close of business November 21, 2014, unless, solely at its discretion, WESTAR Council chooses to extend the bid proposal deadline. WESTAR Council reserve the right to reject proposals received after the prescribed date and time.

E. Format Requirements

Bidders shall submit their proposals in electronic format (Microsoft Word, PDF and/or Excel) format to the email address as listed below, or hardcopy format to the postal address of WESTAR Council Project/Training Manager as listed below:

Jeffrey P. Gabler, Project/Training Manager WESTAR Council 715 SW Morrison Street, Ste. 503 Portland, Oregon 97205 Phone: 503-478-4955 Fax: 503-478-4961 E-mail Address: jgabler@westar.org

F. Technical Proposal & Administrative Content Requirements

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In addition to conforming to the course description and course material information contained in Sections IV & VI, the technical proposal shall conform to the following administrative requirements:

1. Title Page

a. Name of the official bidder and/or the company or organization name, as applicable.

b. Business address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address. c. Federal Employer Identification Number or Dun & Bradstreet Number, if

applicable. d. Name and title of the bidding entity’s authorized representative(s) who

is/are officially submitting the proposal, who shall be responsible for executing the contract, and who shall be responsible for maintaining contact with WESTAR Council during the project.

e. Date of the proposal. 2. History and Current Status

Provide a brief description and history of the bidding entity, and its corporate or partnership status, as applicable.

3. Organization and Staffing

Discuss the organization of the bidding entity, along with the staff members who will provide support for this project. Describe the resources available to execute the work tasks requested and provide résumés and/or other documentation of qualifications of all key project team members who would provide project.

4. Summary of Training and Educational Experience Provide a summary of training and educational experience of the lead instructor and any supporting instructors, and any specific experiences that uniquely qualifies the instructor(s) to present the course.

5. Environmental Experience and Certifications

Provide a summary of environmental regulatory experience in the practical aspects of air dispersion modeling, and any relevant certifications of the bidding entity and its primary employees.

6. Special Expertise

Provide information on any special expertise or innovations that the bidding entity has developed for support of its customers that might be relevant to this project. Types of problems addressed, solutions recommended, and results shall be provided.

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7. References Provide the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of a minimum of three references who know the work and performance of the bidder as it relates to this proposed project.

G. Cost Proposal Content Requirements 1. Develop cost proposals with the understanding that this solicitation is based

on a: a. Fixed fee format for professional services, and, b. Actual expense format for all travel expenses and other variable

expenses (all reasonable travel expenses, least expensive economy class, WESTAR will not pay for upgrades for any travel related expense);

c. Meals are based on WESTAR’s per diem schedule ($10 – Breakfast; $14 – Lunch; $28 – Dinner).

2. Bidders shall submit separately a cost proposal as prescribed in Paragraph

VII.C. of this RFP 3. A complete Cost Proposal shall include:

a. Instructional service charges. b. Estimate of travel costs including lodging, meals, incidentals, and

transportation. WESTAR will pay, within reasonable limits, actual travel costs. WESTAR will not pay for airfare upgrades including early boarding, preferential seating, and other air travel upgrades. Meals shall be reimbursed at WESTAR’s per diem schedule as outlined in Paragraph VII.G.1.c. WESTAR will not reimburse tips. Reimbursement for mileage is based on WESTAR’s rate ($.565 per mile). Contractor must communicate with WESTAR if planning on using personal vehicle for transportation, and provide documentation showing that the use of personal vehicle is a cost effective alternative.

c. Course material printing and shipping costs. d. Other relevant expenses (Please itemize).

4. Costs of Proposal Preparation Limited to Bidder.

a. All costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal pursuant to this RFP shall be the responsibility of, and borne by, the bidder and shall not be reimbursed by WESTAR Council.

H. Bidders shall provide information of sufficient detail to enable WESTAR Council to

determine the bidder’s ability to perform the tasks outlined in this RFP. Failure of a bidder to comply with all submission requirements in this RFP shall constitute cause for WESTAR Council to disqualify the Proposal. WESTAR Council reserves the right to reject for any reason any and all proposals received in response to this RFP.

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I. A bidder or prospective bidder may raise questions related to tasks required by the

request. WESTAR Council reserves the right to share such questions and corresponding answers with all bidders and/or potential bidders.

J. Inquiries regarding RFP requirements and other related information shall be directed

to the WESTAR Council’s Project/Training Manager as indicated in Section V or VII. E. of this RFP.

K. Small and Disadvantaged Businesses.

1. WESTAR Council encourages bids from small and disadvantaged businesses

including those owned by minorities and women.

L. Bidder shall provide WESTAR with most current agenda. Revisions to the agenda and/or course materials shall be considered public domain if bidder includes costs of updates in cost proposal.

VIII. PROPOSAL SELECTION CRITERIA.

WESTAR will only select experienced contractor(s). Selection criteria will include:

Completeness and responsiveness of the written proposal relative to the requirements outlined in this RFP including proper certification and signature. A bid may be disqualified if substantially deficient in content or if the required certification and signature are not provided.

Bidder’s ability to meet the needs specified in this RFP.

Instructor qualifications and experience in presenting course materials.

Recent experiences of WESTAR Council with the bidder including an assessment of past course evaluations, if applicable.

Historic experience of the bidder with training in general and with presenting this course in particular.

Proposed costs for completing the tasks specified.

Information from references.

Other pertinent information and factors at the discretion of WESTAR.

IX. GENERAL PROCUREMENT PROVISIONS AND CONDITIONS

A. WESTAR reserves the right not to award any contract based on this request for

proposals.

B. WESTAR is not required to select the lowest cost bid, but will consider cost among the

other factors listed above.

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C. WESTAR may request follow-up bids from selected contractors if necessary to obtain

further information before making final selections.

D. At the conclusion of the selection process, WESTAR may provide information on the

strengths and weaknesses of an individual proposal to that respective respondent.

Except as required by state and federal law, WESTAR shall not be obligated to provide

more detailed information. WESTAR shall not provide copies of proposals submitted

pursuant to this RFP to any entity other than official representatives of WESTAR and

EPA.

E. Funds available for this contract are federal funds from the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, and contractors must meet requirements associated with the use

of federal funds.

X. INSTRUCTOR PERFORMANCE AND TASK EXPECTATIONS.

Bidders shall assume that the course attendance will be capped at ~10 students – WESTAR will communicate actual number to bidder with sufficient time. The instructor(s) for this course shall meet the following expectations and perform the following tasks:

Demonstrate excellent communication and presentation skills.

Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the subject matter.

Present a professional demeanor throughout the course.

Provide presentations in an informative manner containing a mix of background, technical, and practical information utilizing such teaching methods as lectures, class exercises, and small group works.

Be responsive to student questions and concerns.

Meet course objectives for dispensing core knowledge in the subject area.

Be prompt in arrival and stay on schedule.

Bidder using proprietary materials must receive WESTAR’s approval and reproduce sufficient numbers of course material packets for distribution at the beginning of course.

Course materials must be available for distribution at the beginning of course.

Adequately prepare for the course.

Communicate with WESTAR, as necessary, to ensure proper pre-course planning.

Communicate to WESTAR audio-visual needs.

Provide a laptop computer for use in the course.

Administer a pre-test and post-test.

Provide WESTAR with a post-test summary within 5-day after course completion.

Submit a Course Summary Report (unless prior agreement has been reach between WESTAR and instructional service provider) within 30 days of completion of the course which will include:

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Cover page stating: Course title, course number (if applicable), date offered, location, and names and affiliations of course instructors and any guest lecturers;

Course agenda and objectives; Student information: class roster; Summary of course presentation: Impression of student and instructor

attitudes toward the course and comments concerning facility, materials, EPA support (if applicable) and any other pertinent information;

Recommendations and comments: suggestions for improving the course, summary of course evaluations from the students (and from instructors if available);

Summary of course outcomes: analysis of pre-test and post-test scores to measure course effectiveness;

Grade report: students’ pre-tests and post-tests or legible copies of those items;

List of material developed, redeveloped, or used as supplements by the instructor, include copies of any materials developed or redeveloped with WESTAR funding.

If appropriate, generate course certificates.

Provide an accurate invoice for instructional services, consistent with the accepted bid. Documentation shall be provided for all costs. Meals shall be reimbursed at WESTAR’s per diem meal rate ($10 – Breakfast; $14 – Lunch; $28 – Dinner).

Failure to compile with any of the above Performance & Task Expectations could result in cancellation of contract, and withholding of payment until terms and conditions have been met.

XI. WESTAR COUNCIL OBLIGATIONS.

In preparing proposals, prospective bidders may assume that WESTAR Council will:

Communicate course materials shipping information to bidder.

Make all course location arrangements and communicate said information in a timely manner to students and instructors.

Make audio-visual arrangements such as a digital projector, stand, surge bar, extension cord, screen, and flip charts and/or a dry-erase board.

If appropriate, make refreshment arrangements for morning and afternoon breaks (lunch is on your own).

As necessary, provide name cards, sign-in sheet, course evaluations, attendee list, agenda, and student performance report template.

If appropriate, generate course completion certificates.

If appropriate, generate course summary report for EPA.

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Make timely payment for instructional services and travel expenses within thirty days of receipt of accurate invoice, and upon successfully fulfilling all requirements set forth in the RFP.